Vamana Purana — Gift of Sudarshana, Shloka 18

The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

तम्स्य दुष्टं भगवानभिप्रायं जनार्दनः ज्ञात्वा तस्य वधाकाङ्क्षी महेश्वरमुपागमत्

Transliteration

tamsya duṣṭaṃ bhagavānabhiprāyaṃ janārdanaḥ jñātvā tasya vadhākāṅkṣī maheśvaramupāgamat

Translation

জনাৰ্দন (বিষ্ণু) এ তাৰ দুষ্ট অভিপ্ৰায় জানি, তাৰ বধ কামনা কৰি মহেশ্বৰ (শিৱ)ৰ ওচৰলৈ গ’ল।

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing Viṣṇu’s action; explicit interlocutors not stated in the verse.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Janardana/Hari)
• Shiva (Maheshvara)

Key Themes

• Shaiva-Vaishnava Unity
• Protection of cosmic order (dharma)
• Deva strategy against adharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Viṣṇu approach Maheśvara instead of acting alone?

In the Andhaka cycle, the Purāṇas often frame the resolution as a coordinated divine response: Viṣṇu recognizes the threat and aligns with Śiva, emphasizing functional unity among deities in restoring dharma.

Who is the ‘wicked-intentioned one’ implied here?

Within the Andhaka-vadha narrative arc, the referent is typically Andhaka (or a closely related asuric agent) whose adharma prompts divine intervention; the verse itself signals recognition of a hostile resolve without naming him.

What theological point is conveyed by ‘desiring his slaying’?

It presents divine violence as dharma-protective rather than personal: the ‘vadhākāṅkṣā’ is directed toward removing a cosmic obstruction (adharma) and is immediately followed by seeking Śiva’s participation, reinforcing legitimacy and order.